Rapitude

When you’re on a quest for self-improvement, there are countless books, apps, methods, etc., out there that promise to “fix” you, or help you become the best you you can be. Bullet journals, meditation apps, yoga studios, books promising to help you “get your shit together”—there’s no shortage of products, services and experiences to buy in our culture.​But what if, rather than acquire new hobbies or projects, you turned to your old interests and pursued them with fervor and commitment? What if you tried that for a whole year?That’s what David Cain proposed on his blog, Raptitude. He wrote that the idea, which he deemed a Depth Year, immediately “caught fire.” With a Depth Year, you’re going “deeper rather than wider”:

The “Depth Year” was supposed to be hypothetical—a reflection on how our consumer reflexes tend to spread our aspirations too thin. Because it’s so easy to acquire new pursuits, we tend to begin what are actually enormous, lifelong projects (such as drawing, or language-learning) too often, and abandon them too easily.This chronic lack of follow-through makes us feel bad, but worse than that, we never actually reach the level of fulfillment we believed we would when we first bought the guitar or the drawing pencils. Instead we end up on a kind of novelty treadmill—before things click, we’ve moved on to the exciting beginning stages of something new.﻿

Not purchasing new things is key, but perhaps more important, Cain writes, is the recognition that “depth” has a different meaning to everyone. For some, it could mean embracing what you have and holding off on buying new toys. “To others it’s a more general pruning of waste, a suspicion of the impulse to acquire, and a refocusing on what really matters,” he writes.

The goal is go deeper with your current goals and hobbies—reading the books you already have, practicing more yoga poses rather than trying meditation for the first time, etc.—to stay the course, and “cultivate” the value of the things we’re already engaged in.Cain writes that for him, the Depth Year helped him create “a new lens for looking at the tools and opportunities that had always been there.” Possibility was everywhere, he writes, when you learn to look for it.​This type of shift in perspective can help you overcome our culture’s constant need for more and better. Instead of thinking about what you don’t have or cannot do, you go deeper with what you already have, and can do.

Amazingly, I have lost about 5kg from the keto diet. Definitely lost the fats that I've accumulated over the year-end bingeing in 2018. I lost some muscular mass in the process as well. I do not think that's necessarily a bad thing. It does get harder to have an intensive workout as the years pass and I grow older. Every set, every stroke requires more energy and effort. Soon I won't be lifting iron in the gym, but using the swinging trainer at the community fitness areas kindly sponsored by HDB haha!

Just ended a phone call with mom.It started like this chain of messages.

"Gd nite son.""Shall we do dinner soon?""Call me now."

And I called her. As she lives alone, I think she gets lonely sometimes, even though she does not mention it. I arranged to meet her some time next week for dinner. This is one of my initiatives; to spend more regular time with her, despite my busy-ness.

"Why don't you call me more?" She asked."You can always call me anytime you know?" I replied."But I am afraid that you might be busy.""I will have time to talk to you. If I am busy I would let you know, so you don't have to be pressured to call.""Do you think of me," she asked."I think of you all the time; just that I don't vocalise it," I bantered.

She laughed. We always have this adorable chemistry with each other.But I think she's lonely.

We talked about some other stuff. But she said something which reminded me of what I have been thinking for a while.

She said this to me."Don't worry about making too much money. There is never an end to making money. We can live a simpler life. We can eat simple. Just spend more time together."

MY PERSONAL EXPERIENCE WITH RESVERATROL

Interestingly, I first read about Resveratrol in 2006 via an online research report. Fascinated by the research done by Dr Sinclair at the Harvard Medical School, I gathered many sources of information to understand the science behind how reseveratrol work. I then decided to give resveratrol a try, and have been taking it for the past thirteen years on a daily basis, based on 100mg to 200mg. Recently I have decided to up my dosage to 400mg as it seems to have really help me slow down my ageing process. Of course there could be other factors as well, but I would attribute resveratrol as one of the factors contributing to this. ​

RESVERATROL DOSAGE ACCORDING TO SCIENCE AND RESEARCH

At the moment, resveratrol is still the subject of extensive ongoing research. Much of this centers around the optimum healthy dosage required by humans to attainthe various health benefits associated with it.

Studies on mice have shown that resveratrol in high doses can increase longevity and play and active role in the prevention of disease and cander. Mice on high fat diets, when supplemented with resveratrol, showed increased survival and insulin sensitivity, as compared to mice that were not.

In other rodent studies, anti-ageing effects were observed in mice which received a human equivalent of as little as 20mg of resveratrol a day.​

HOW DOES RESVERATROL WORK?

Resveratrol has a relationship with apoptosis cells (cell death as part of the natural growth and development of the cell). In many studies, it is shown that at a lower dose, resveratrol acts as an anti-apoptotic agent. This protects the heart by increasing cell survival proteins. Also evident at higher doses is the capacity for resveratrol to hinder the growth of existing tumours. Thus, at lower dose, resveratrol can be very useful in maintain not only human health but also slowing down the ageing process.​

HOW MUCH RESVERATROL TO TAKE?

In health science circles, 20mg of resveratrol a day is generally agreed to be an appropriate dosage for an adult. This is the lowest effective dosage.

Alternative to taking supplements, you can also drink red wine. However, 30ml of standard red wine averages around 90 micrograms of resveratrol Hence you will need to take 41 glasses of red wine a day to achieve the same effect!

INTRODUCTION

Hair removal used to be strictly a female thing. Unless you are a bodybuilding, a swimmer or a cyclist who requires a clean, shaving body look for competitive reasons, you might not consider hair removal. However, in this modern day, more and more men are opting for the same grooming rights as women. This includes having a smooth skin.

DIFFERENT MALES HAVE DIFFERENT HAIR REMOVAL REQUIREMENTS

There is an increase in men with various hair removal requirements. Some men do not necessarily want all body hair removed. For example, we have some customers who increasingly want their chest and back hair thinning (and not totally removed). Then there are customers who want a full body permanent hair removal, including boyzilian. (Boyzilian is a common term for permanent hair removal for the private area, including the groin and the butt area). There are also male customers who have specific requests, such as SHR on their eyebrows. This is because they want to take away the unibrow look. ​​

THERE ARE HYGIENE REASONS TOO!

Another reason to why more males are getting their body hair removal is because of hygiene. Some guys find that manscaping helps them relieve irritating. Hair removal helps to reduce bushiness and any itchiness that can be accentuated by sweating, especially during the hot humit Singapore weather, or after exercise. ​​

GETTING RID OF IRRITATING INGROWN HAIRS

The other common reason would be ingrown hairs. A lot of guys want to have less hair to make shaving easier. This is especially so when they have ingrown hairs at their chin or neck areas. Laser hair removal is the only effective way to treat a condition called PFD (pseudofolliculitis barbae). This is a condition where clusters of red, inflamed or dark bumps appear around hair follicles after shaving. ​​

LASER HAIR REMOVAL AND SUPER HAIR REMOVAL (SHR)

While waxing is the traditional means of temporary hair removal, which requires monthly visits to the waxing salon, laser hair removal has become the defacto solution for permanent hair removal. Laser hair removal such as Wellaholic's SHR or Super Hair Removal uses laser light energy to penetrate the hair shaft. This travels down to the follicle and kills the hair root, where the hair growth starts. While another hair can grow in its place, it is very difficult. Hence, laser hair removal can last a fairly long time, and even permanently. Laser hair removal is a procedure where a specific beam of light bypasses the epidermis and targets the follicle. This disables the reproductive cycle of the hair without hurting the skin. As laser hair removal destroys the follicle, the hair shaft becomes weak and limp, and with repeated treatments - about 8 to 12 treatments - the follicle dies and no hair grows. ​​

USING LASER HAIR REMOVAL TO STOP HAIR GROWTH OR THIN OUT HAIR

Laser hair removal has the flexibility to either permanently stop hair groth, or just thin out hair. In fact, other than electrolysis, laser hair removal is the only hair removal treatment that allows for thinning, rather than complete removal.

​UNDERSTANDING THE HAIR GROWTH CYCLE FOR BETTER HAIR REMOVAL

A point to note is that we usually say that customers will get permanent hair reduction. This is because what happens is that when one follicle dies, there might be another one next to it that may regenerate itself. Hair grows in different cycles so at any time, 30 to 60 percent of the hair is in the anagen growth cycle stage. The laser is targeting the hairs in the growth stage. The dead ones that are dead will shed after a few weeks. By the time you go for your next appointment (recommended 30 days later, to time with the hair growth cycle), the hairs that were in their growth stage will now by in their dormant or dying stage. ​​

WHAT SHOULD YOU DO BEFORE YOUR FIRST SHR HAIR REMOVAL APPOINTMENT?

Shaving. It is important to shave the area that you are getting treated before the appointment. At Wellaholic, we also provide a shaving service at a nominal fee, but we recommend customers to shaving before the treatment if possible. You want to have short hair so that when the light and energy goes through it, there is enough left to target the follicles. ​​

UPDATE ON YOUR SKIN COLOUR AND ETHNICITY TO DETERMINE THE RIGHT SHR SETTINGS

Lasers work differently on light and dark skins. People with fair skin will fall under Type 1, 2 and 3 and responds best to shorter wavelength (755 nanometers), which is easy on the skin and also effective on light hair. On the other hand, people with dark skin will fall under Type 4, 5 and 6 (where Type 4 is Indian, and Type 5 and 6 being African American). In this case, we will use a wavelength that bypasses the epidermis and has a long pulse like the 1064 nanometers and safe on their type of skin. ​​

WELLAHOLIC'S SUPER HAIR REMOVAL

We hope that this article on permanent hair removal for males has been a useful read for you. Wellaholic offers full body permanent hair removal with our Unlimited SHR Prestige and Deluxe plans. These plans are designed to be cost-efficient yet effective. A 12-month plan will also automatically qualify you for our Lifetime Maintain Mode Program!

DOES YOUR FACE SPARK JOY?

People all over the world are now decluttering their lives, thanks to Netflix series "Tidying up with Marie Kondo." Marie, a bestselling author from Japan, helps to get different families to sort out and declutter. This includes clearing and sorting out their piles of clothing, books and even treasured items.

"Sparking Joy" is an often repeated term on the series, as Marie proclaims her mission using her konmari method to help spark joy in the world.

As we move from sorting out our homes, it is time to take a look at the mirror; have a close look at your face under bright light. Ask yourself, does your face spark joy? Are you trulysatisfied with your appearance? Or are there lines and blemishes that you can clear away instead?

Let us help! In this article, we will share 7 methods to help you take great care of your skin, on a daily basis. It's time to spark joy with your face! ​​

7 METHODS TO HELP YOUR FACE SPARK JOY​

1. Alway Take Specific Care for Each Skin TypeTo take the best care for your skin, always make sure to choose products specially designed for your skin type. Dry skin requires different care from oily skin. A wrong match will cause either flaking (from over drying) or pimples (from oil build-up and thereafter bacterial infection).

So what are the best products for the various skin types? ​

Combination Skin - choose a gentle, balancing formula that prevents both irritating and dryness. Use a hydrating serum, and quench your skin with a lightweight liquid or gel lotion. ​

Dry Skin - choose cleansing oils and lotsion which help to remove dirt and make up without stripping away moisture. Apply a hydrating serum or essence to quench skin with a boost of water. We recommend our ﻿Royal Jelly Essence﻿ in this case. For moisturising, a cream with protective ingredients like oils or shea butter will help to keep the water locked in. ​

Normal Skin - Remove dirt and makeup with a mild cleanser that will not disrupt the skin's pH balance. Exfoliate 2 or 3 times a week with a AHA, BHA or retinoid for a fresh, glowing complexion. We recommend our 100% concentrate of Retinol Serum. A light or medium weight lotion with emollients like almond oil will help to retain hydration. ​

2. Always Pay Special Attention to the Fragile Area

Certain parts of the face are usually more fragile, such as the areas around the eyes (eyelids, eyebags, etc.), lips, as well as the forehead. They need special care. Treat these areas with a rich moisturiser and also specific serums. ​​​

3. Pay Even More Attention to the Eyes

A point to note is that the eye contour skin is about ten times finer and more fragile than the rest of the skin on the face. Hence, never over-exfoliate. When removing make-up, always choose a specific routine that will not damage this sensitive area.

From your 30s onwards, you may begin to see some signs of aging around your eyes. This includes fine lines and textual changes. A retinol-based treatment will help to increase the cell-turnover adn resurface your skin overnight. ​​

4. Make-up Removal before Gentle Cleansing

onsider using a pH-neutral make-up remover so as not to overstres your skin. Due to the sensitive skin area, gently cleanse your skin surface to remove the make-up.​

5. Exfoliation is Necessary

Exfoliation is always recommended at least once (or twice) a week. This can be done via a facial scrub, though Wellaholic would recommend using both a Diamond Peel. This microdermabrasion procedure will help physically exfoliate the skin. This can be further augmented by a regular Retinol regime. The vitamin-A derivative can do wonders by chemically exofoliating the skin. This helps to keep the complexion clear. ​​

6. Moisturising is also Essential

Keeping the skin moisturised and supple is also essential. This is because the dermis is 15% epidermis and 70% water. With the appropriate daily moisturing skin care, you can then balance the level of water within the skin. ​

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7. Don't Forget Sun Protection!

Use sunscreen every day, even if it is a cloudy day. This is because the UVA and UVB rays can do damage to your skin whether it is a sunny day or a cloudy day. If you are going to be out in the hot sun, apply enough sunscreen at least 15 to 30 minutes in advance. If you are in doubt of which sunscreen to use, try our easy-to-apply Daily Sunscreen.

There you have it! As long as you stick to these 7 key tips and keep to them on a daily basis, we guarantee that your improved appearance will have you smiling from cheek to cheek!

Singapore Budget 2019 Infographics - At a Glance

The Singapore 2019 Budget was recently announced by Finance Minister Heng Swee Keat. The theme for this year's Budget was the Bicentennial Bonus, the Merderka Generation Package, as well as the Dependency Ratio. Announced on 18 February 2019, we will try to summarize the key areas of the Budget. ​

S$1.1 billion Bicentennial Bonus​

This bonus applies to Singaporeans aged 21 and above, and includes GST vouchers and a personal income tax rebate of 50% (but only capped at S$200 per Singaporean taxpayer) for income earned in 2018.

In addition to this, younger Singaporeans will get top-ups to their Edusave and Post-Secondary education accounts. Older Singaporeans who are eligible will get a CPF top-off (one time only). ​

Healthcare Support

The CHAS subsidies will be extended to all Singaporeans for chronic conditions regardless of income. Also, existing CHAS Orange card holders will have not only chronic conditions but also common illnesses covered. The subsidies for complex chronic conditions will also be increased. ​

Dependency Ratio Ceiling

As indicated in the infographics above, there will be a lower foreign worker ratio particularly in the services sector. This will without doubt exert even more pressure on the services industry, which is already squeezed by higher rents and wages. ​

GST Import Relief

Travellers who are away from Singapore for less than 48 hours will have to pay GST on goods purchased overseas worth more than $$100. For those away for more than 48 hours, the value of goods granted relief is increased to $S500.

In addition, the duty-free alcohol entitlement will be dropped from 3L to 2L. ​

Diesel Duty

The diesel fuel excise duty will be increased to S$0.20 per litre. In addition, the annual special tax on diesel taxis will be reduced by S$850, while the special tax on diesel cars will be reduced by $S100.​

Conclusion

All in all, there are pockets of benefits for everyone, especially in the healthcare segment. However, there will be more duties on goods purchased from overseas as well as on diesel. The SMEs in the services industry will also face more pressure. All these will pave the way for the impending GST increase as well.

While proteins such as whey are naturally high in BCAAs, it is not the most effective strategy for muscle growth or fat loss. Other reports found that the proteins involved in muscle catabolism ( muscle breakdown caused by exercise ) seemed to be suppressed after BCAA supplementation.

Foods with a high BCAA content, such as whey protein, have been shown to produce higher muscle gains with resistance training.

The combination of BCAAs and resistance exercises results in maximum protein synthesis, because they both trigger what is called the mtorc1 signal path necessary for muscle building.

In addition, since bcaa triggers protein synthesis even in the absence of movement, maintaining lean muscle tissue can maintain metabolism and help prevent fat gain when it is inactive.

People with low protein intake may take BCAA supplements to promote muscle protein synthesis and increase muscle growth.

Amino acids are the cornerstones of protein and can be used to prevent fatigue from beginners. Valine is the essential amino acid anathorn for muscle metabolism, tissue repair and proper balance of nitrogen in the body.

In order to maximize your effor and recovery after training for good results, the answer is essential amino acids.

The use of BCAA supplements may prevent protein degradation in some populations where muscle is lost. It is more advantageous to obtain BCAA from complete protein sources because they contain all the essential amino acids.

​Hmb, a leucine derivative, prevents muscle damage and increases muscle strength by reducing proteolysis caused by exercises in the muscles and also helps to increase lean body mass.

In a study, female athletes who supplement the arginine had a significant reduction in body fat percentage and an equally significant increase in lean mass, presented at the 2008 Annual Meeting of the American College of Sports Medicine.

Leucine, which is one of the three b. c. ( together with isoleucine and valine ), is particularly responsible for the development of muscle protein synthesis, a process by which muscle tissue is formed.

In addition to maintaining the existing muscle tissue, BCAAs are unique among the amino ones because they can serve as muscle fuel.​Effect of creatine and beta - alanine supplementation on performance and endocrine reactions in athletes.Bcaas should also be used as a supplement during any fat loss plan because of the muscle retention effect.In recent years, BCAAs, in particular leucine, have been found to send signals to the body, informing it of muscle building.

Recent studies have shown that oral lucine activates the mtor, which activates protein synthesis ( muscle growth ) and increases the ability of a cell to produce new proteins ( muscle tissue ).

It is also important to note that, although BCAAs can be used to signal muscle growth, there must be a whole spectrum of amino acids as a basis for muscle growth.New and exciting research continues to be carried out on BCAAs and their applications for muscle growth, fat loss and performance.​While BCAAs have proven to be beneficial as a muscle tissue building block, their benefits as a signal molecules are only understood.

Video walkthrough of Himeji Castle from the main gate all the way through the castle grounds and then to the highest level. Was accompanied by hordes of school kids in blue as you could tell.

Himeji Castle (姫路城 Himeji-jō) is a hilltop Japanese castle complex situated in the city of Himeji which is located in the Hyōgo Prefecture of Japan. The castle is regarded as the finest surviving example of prototypical Japanese castle architecture, comprising a network of 83 rooms with advanced defensive systems from the feudal period. The castle is frequently known as Hakuro-jō or Shirasagi-jō ("White Egret Castle" or "White Heron Castle") because of its brilliant white exterior and supposed resemblance to a bird taking flight.

Himeji Castle is the largest and most visited castle in Japan, and it was registered in 1993 as one of the first UNESCO World Heritage Sites in the country.nThe area within the middle moat of the castle complex is a designated Special Historic Site and five structures of the castle are also designated National Treasures.

My first time visiting Himeji Castle was before the year 2000, so this second visit was truly way overdue!

​​Made my second quick trip and visit to Nara, Japan to feed the deers. They were as friendly and hungry as always!

Nara Park (奈良公園, Nara Kōen) is a large park in central Nara. Established in 1880, it is the location of many of Nara's main attractions including Todaiji, Kasuga Taisha, Kofukuji and the Nara National Museum. The park is home to hundreds of freely roaming deer. Considered in Shinto to be messengers of the gods, Nara's nearly 1200 deer have become a symbol of the city and have even been designated as a natural treasure. Nara's deer are surprisingly tame, although they can be aggressive if they think you will feed them. Deer crackers are for sale around the park, and some deer have learned to bow to visitors to ask to be fed.

As I arrived at Nara late, it was merely a quick visit to the deers, and then I was back on my way to Osaka.